There's nothing like that moment when you taste an Asian dish you made at home and pump your fist in the air because it tastes just like take-out! It's not hard to get that authentic flavor; all it takes are the right ingredients. Fully stocking an Asian pantry can seem intimidating, but with just 15 basic ingredients, you can make a wide variety of recipes from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and beyond.

Last week we asked you, our readers, to share the one kitchen item you'd recommend splurging on. The response was overwhelming, but right on in our view. If you've ever wondered what's worth the money in the kitchen, read on for some valuable insight: More

Yesterday we shared eight small cooking habits that we love -- habits that help us feel more comfortable and in control in the kitchen. Now it's your turn: we'd love to know what little habits you've learned in your time as a home cook. What kinds of habits have made life better in your kitchen? Here's a little habit that I've acquired that really makes me happy...

No one intends to waste food, but things happen — an overenthusiastic shopping spree at the farmers' market, an unexpected string of meals eaten out instead of at home, a container of mystery leftovers lurking in the back of the fridge. Fortunately, a lot of food waste can be prevented by integrating little habits into your cooking routine. Not only will you save food, but you'll save money, too.

Multi-purpose wire organizers are cheap and easy to come by. You may even have one right now sitting on your desk or holding up books in your child's room. This idea brings that organizer into the kitchen and turns it on its head... well, on its side, actually. More

Being a good cook isn't just a matter of knowing the big, impressive skills you can show off to friends and family, like roasting a turkey or making challah bread. It's also about the small habits you practice daily, the ones that transform cooking into a more effortless and joyful part of your day. These 8 simple habits are easy to pick up, yet make a major difference in your cooking.

Like many parents, I was determined to raise my babies with a taste for healthy food. I obsessed, researching to find out if rice cereal really was the best first food, or if a homemade quinoa cereal would be better. I hovered, sure that a well meaning grandma would try to feed my babies cheese or, even worse, sugar. More

Q: I love looking at the pictures of super-organized pantries you post occasionally. But it seems like so many of them use up all the available space. If these cooks want to add a new staple ingredient, where do they put them? 

Rachael Ray didn't invent it, but she did give a memorable name and widespread popularity to one of the kitchen tools I can't cook without: the garbage bowl. Let's take a moment to appreciate this humble workhorse of the kitchen.

See that picture above? That's the beginning of what would end up being several jars of marmalade that my friend Serena and I made a few weeks ago. We both had very little experience in making marmalade but Serena has a real pioneering spirit, so we just dove right in. Or actually, she dove right in and I followed. Inspired by the limes that were ripening on a tree right outside my front door, she brought some of her own homegrown meyer lemons and suggested lemon-lime for our marmalade's flavor. Yes! And so we set off on the somewhat risky but infinitely rewarding path of figuring out how it was done. More